


Reconciliation

by itzteegan



Series: Fallout AU [11]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout 4
Genre: Apologies, Arthur is an asshole but he's trying okay, F/M, Protective Charon, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 04:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18843298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzteegan/pseuds/itzteegan
Summary: Sequel to "Parting Ways" ... four years later, in The Third Rail, Arthur Maxson sits down with Ruby to offer a genuine apology for his behaviour.





	Reconciliation

As twilight settled over the Commonwealth, Ruby and Charon sought solace in The Third Rail. Places like Diamond City weren't the kind of settlements that Ruby made a habit of visiting nowadays, and besides that, Goodneighbor was the home of the illustrious Mayor Hancock, with whom Charon was a close friend. And Ruby didn't mind him too much, either. He was the kind of guy that was fun to just kick it with, whether kicking it involved drinking, stabbing someone, or miscellaneous fun. Whatever you were up for, so was Hancock. The man had very few limits.

 

Another good thing about Goodneighbor, is that hardly anyone respectable ever went there. At one point in time, Ruby would have at least thought twice about it. But those innocent days were long behind her, and she found more solace in distancing herself from the respectable sort that populated the wasteland. In the post-apocalypse, everyone was savage and ruthless in their own ways. At least for the kind of people that popped up in Goodneighbor, it was all out in the open. Others liked to say they were civilised, but in truth they were often worse than those they looked down their noses at. The sly, underhanded game was not one Ruby was inclined to play. She'd had before, when necessary, but it always left her with a damn headache. At least in Goodneighbor, the only headache she'd be leaving with would be the result of a hangover, and at least that would mean she had a good time.

 

It came as a surprise, then, when a certain battlecoat-clad Brotherhood member came walking down the stairs. Ruby's eyebrows nearly shot off her forehead as John elbowed her in the ribs. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," he drawled in her ear. Charon similarly eyed him but didn't say much, preferring to growl under his breath. Just because they'd been recent allies didn't mean Arthur was absolved of his past actions, and Charon well remembered them. He was the one who comforted Ruby as she broke down, the one who stood by as silent support when confronted by someone she'd thought of as a friend. As always, Charon was the one who picked up the pieces, and for someone who'd had an intimate glimpse of the pain Arthur Maxson had caused Ruby ... well, he wasn't so quick to forgive him just because he seemed to not be as big of an asshole as he was when they last crossed paths years ago.

 

Ruby tipped the rest of the bottle's contents into her mouth as she watched Arthur enter, surreptitiously turning her head to follow him as he ordered a beer from Charlie. This wasn't the kind of place she would expect to see him, and she had to admit ... she was curious as to why he was there. "I'll see what he wants," she murmured, finishing off her drink and moving to stand.

 

"Want me to come with you?" Charon asked, but Ruby shook her head. She could take care of herself in The Third Rail. Anywhere, really. She may not have been physically intimidating, but her looks were deceptive. While those who didn't know her might think of her as a potential damsel in distress, she was a spitfire and a half, and anyone who dared to provoke her would soon regret it ... if they lived long enough, that is.

 

Sidling up to the bar, she sat down next to Arthur nonchalantly and ordered another beer from Charlie. She eyed him out of the corner of her eye as she took a sip, wondering if he'd say anything first, and when he didn't she took it upon herself to break the silence between them. "Didn't expect to see you here."

 

His fingers tapped on his own glass. "Didn't expect to come here, but I figured this is where you'd be." He shot her a glance and the barest hint of a smile. "And it seems I was right."

 

Ruby almost wanted to roll her eyes. "Congratulations on the brilliant deduction, Elder." After she took another sip, she asked, "So what did you want with me?"

 

"Just a chance to talk is all," he replied. "I ... I didn't expect to find you here in the Commonwealth." Pausing a moment, he added, "So much has changed since the last time we saw each other in the Citadel."

 

Considering everything that had happened in the Commonwealth recently, she had to say she agreed. Previous to their reunion at the Atom Cats' garage, the last time she'd seen him was right after he'd been named Elder. It had ... not been pleasant, to say the least. He'd given her an ultimatum, to either turn Charon loose or allow Arthur to put him down, and when she refused either option, he'd threatened her with expulsion from the Brotherhood. She'd taken to that option pretty well, throwing her patch at him and flipping him off before she tossed a well-honed verbal dart at him. In time, once in a while, she would start to regret her harsh words. But then the circumstances of why she'd said what she'd said would come back and her resolve would strengthen once more. _Bastard deserved it,_ she'd think, and then go on about her business. But seeing him show up at the garage, his Brotherhood in tow, ready and willing to assist the Railroad and the Minutemen in their mission to eradicate the Gunners ... to say it was a shock would be putting it lightly. Allying with the Minutemen, sure, that seemed fairly reasonable. But the Railroad provided an opposing philosophy that just didn't jive with the Brotherhood that she'd known at the time that she had left it. It was puzzling as to how and when it had changed, and a small part of her wondered at the catalyst for it. "So ... to talk, huh?"

 

He coughed briefly to cover his awkwardness. "Yes. If you're amenable to that."

 

It was unexpected, but ... truth be told, it was not wholly unwelcome. She supposed, considering everything, they were due for a sit down. Nodding, Ruby agreed. "Alright, Arthur."

 

Taking another sip, he asked, "Is there someplace private we could go?"

 

Since RJ had pretty much up and moved shop to Sanctuary so he could raise Duncan, the VIP room was vacant. So she lead him in that direction, the large man following her like a puppy. John and Charon watched her as she walked away, but she nodded to let them know she was fine. Charon had been about to get up and follow her, but relaxed a little and let her go on alone. He kept an eye on them until they disappeared, however, and if Ruby knew the ghoul merc like she did, she knew he'd slink over and wait by the door, just to make sure there was no trouble. Just because she could take care of shit by herself didn't mean that he'd leave her vulnerable. He was always there to back her up, no matter what shenanigans she got herself into.

 

As they relaxed into the chairs, Ruby mused the juxtaposition compared to their last face to face meeting. "Well, this is world's different than the Citadel," she commented.

 

Arthur nodded. "Quite."

 

"Wouldn't have thought that you'd actually come to a place like this."

 

"Well, things change."

 

"As I well know. You were the one who told me that."

 

Arthur winced slightly, remembering when he'd told her that. She wondered ... did he possibly regret that? Him? Arthur Maxson? If someone had posited that to her before the Gunner mission, she would have called them a liar, but after what she'd witnessed as of late, she'd come to doubt her own intuition when it came to the Brotherhood Elder.

 

"So ..." she began as she sipped on her new beer, "... what brought about a change this time?"

 

He took her question seriously, setting his bottle down on the table to look her in the eye. "It's, well ... let's just say it's been a long time coming. Even so, Lia gave me the kick in the ass I needed."

 

Ruby chuckled. "She seems to have that affect."

 

Arthur nodded solemnly. "She helped me realise that, as much as I thought I was in control ... I wasn't. I had suspected as much, of course, for a while. Questioned whether this path was something I was truly forging or if it was being directed by the West Coast." He sighed as he continued, "They took advantage of my youthful determination and devotion, started steering me away from everything that had made the East Coast unique. Still, despite their influence, it was I who acted, I who put things into motion. It was ... it was I who said and did things that I can never take back." Previously, he'd been looking at his bottle, at the table, the floor, anywhere else in the room his eyes could possibly rest on. They finally settled on her, however, as he said, "The last time we spoke in the Citadel, I made a grave mistake, and in doing so I alienated a friend and ally. I cannot take back what I did, all I can do is ask for forgiveness."

 

Well this was a surprise. Ruby couldn't help but blurt out, "The great Elder Maxson, admitting mistakes? Asking for forgiveness?" She let out a small huff of laughter as she added, "Didn't think I'd ever live to see the day. Or that the day would even come at all."

 

Arthur smirked. "I understand if you're hesitant to accept. My behaviour was unacceptable, influenced or not."

 

Ruby sipped on her beer as she considered it, truly unsure how to feel about the whole thing. On the one hand, what had been exchanged between them, it had changed their whole dynamic, soured whatever she had felt for the young man. A small part of her, however, wanted to throw all caution to the wind and immediately disregard the last several years of events because she so desperately wanted her friend back. Things didn't quite work out for her like that, however, they never had. There was always a price to pay, always a caveat that wasn't seen or understood until it was too late. That was the summation of Ruby's life, and she understood it well. There was one question hanging on, however, one that had been sticking with her since right after the Gunner mission. Changing the subject slightly, she began, "I'm curious ... when Kells came to fetch you in Sanctuary and saw me there, he seemed to think I was missing and presumed dead." Arthur nodded, following along. "Why? You didn't report me? Would have thought it was an open and shut case for outright desertion, if not dissension."

 

"I was going to. I went to Command to put in the order to kill on sight, but ... I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

 

He was honest, at least, and it was surprising. Perhaps ... perhaps, even then, he had his doubts. If anything, it was encouraging. Still didn't make up for the shit he'd done. "So when it comes to me you just couldn't bring yourself to do it, but when it comes to someone I care about deeply who happens to be a ghoul, then it'd be easy as pie, right? Because fuck me and my feelings and my life, huh?" Arthur looked down again, silent, letting Ruby ramble on and get this pain out of her system. She needed this and he knew it and he deserved everything she'd throw at him and more. "I know I didn't lay a lot on you, Arthur, I tried not to, but I don't think you quite grasped just how I lost _everything_. My home, the only life and the only friends that I'd ever known ... kicked to the figurative curb in the middle of the wasteland I knew nothing about, knowing only that my father was out there and that I had to find him. And later, after I’d finally found him, I had to watch him die and I was helpless to stop it. And _then_ I had to turn around and guide a group of scientists to safety." Ruby chuckled darkly as she added, "If it wasn't for Charon by my side, I probably would have fucking died in those sewers. Wouldn't have been paying enough attention and walked right into a group of Enclave soldiers. Or stepped on a mine or a tripwire. Anything. And hell, maybe I would have just let it happen. What else did I have to live for, right?" Tipping her bottle, she drained the rest of the beer and set the empty glass down on the table, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Truth is, Charon has been there for me, been the strong foundation I needed ever since the bottom dropped out. And I don't give a fuck that he's a ghoul. I've learned the hard way that the most civilised and normal looking humans are often the cruelest. So fuck any standard that looks down on me for finding what I needed in Charon."

 

Arthur's fingers tapped lightly on the neck of his bottle as he held it loosely. "I was young and impressionable, but that still doesn't excuse how I treated you. I'm sorry. If I knew how to truly make it right, I would." Looking up at her once again, Ruby could have sworn she saw a flash of that little boy she'd initially met the first time she'd set foot in the Citadel. "You were one of the very few friends I had, friends that didn't treat me like a Maxson or just another Squire, but who just saw me as Arthur. And I threw that all away because I had been convinced it was my divine birthright to lead the Brotherhood and that I had to be just like my ancestor." He shook his head, the faint whisper of a sad smile on his face. "The price was not worth it. I've missed you, Ruby, missed you every goddamn day since you left. At first I was angry, sure, but that didn't last long, not when I could no longer hear your laughter echoing in the dining hall or see you rolling your eyes in one of our meetings. Hear your distinct footsteps in the hallways and see your silhouette on the firing range." His voice dropped ever so slightly as he admitted, "And especially not having someone I knew I could go to and talk to, someone who I knew would lend me their ear and listen to whatever grievance I had ... and then either give me advice or tell me to suck it up, whichever I needed." A glint of a smile shone in his eyes as he added, "I was a fool, Ruby. While I could understand why you wouldn't, is it possible you could find it in yourself to forgive me?"

 

Ruby sighed. "It's been a long time, Arthur. People change." Just as his face started to fall, however, a tiny smirk tugged at her lips. "Thing is, words don't mean shit. Action does. Show me you want to be better and do better, and I think we can have a starting point."

 

"I've already been helping the Railroad and putting the East Coast back where Owyn Lyons had it ... what else do you want?"

 

She folded her arms as she leaned back in the chair. "Apologise to Charon."

 

Never before would Ruby have thought that the great Elder Maxson would have ever cowed to a request like that, but once again he proved that he was just full of surprises. Nodding solemnly, he told her, "Send him in, then."

 

After she got over her initial shock, she turned toward the door and called out, "Charon? Can you come here, please?" If she had put a bet on him already standing next to the door, she could have cleaned house as the tall ghoul immediately entered the room upon hearing her request. He eyed Arthur suspiciously, wondering perhaps if he'd have to manhandle him out of The Third Rail, but Ruby only beckoned him to sit beside her. Once he was settled, she turned back to the Brotherhood Elder. "Go ahead, Arthur."

 

To his credit, he took it very seriously, clearing his throat and then looking the ghoul in the eye before proceeding. He even ticked all the right boxes ... admitted mistakes, didn't make excuses, expressed regret, and offered up how he was going to better himself in the future. It seemed almost completely out of character, if Ruby was going only by the Arthur she'd last seen several years ago. _But,_ she mused, _change could go both ways._ It could turn out for the good or for the bad, and just because it changed for the bad at one point in time didn't mean it would always be that way.

 

Charon sat there and listened intently, silent as he let Arthur have his say, and when the Elder was finally finished, the ghoul merc spoke up. "So you wanna apologise and act like nothing ever happened, then? Dunno that I can do that. You weren't there, smooth-skin, you weren't there to fix what you broke. I was. I always am. And I always will be, whether anyone likes it or not."

 

Arthur shook his head. "I know there's no going back to the way things were, as much as I would wish it to be so. But I would like to move forward, to work toward a new future with an old friend." His eyes flicking toward Ruby, he suggested, "I think it's high time we brought back the Lyons' Pride, and should you wish to, I can think of no one more suited to lead it. But I don't want you to feel forced into it. You don't want to, just say the word, I won't bring it up again."

 

"Honestly?" Ruby began, looking at Charon for a moment as she reminisced about the past, "I think I'd really like that. As much bad blood as we've had between us lately, Arthur, I'd really missed the camaraderie. Leaving the Brotherhood ..." her voice lowered to almost a whisper as she spoke, "... it was like leaving the Vault all over again."

 

Charon subtly reached over to her and squeezed her thigh. His question, however, he directed at Arthur. "You sure you're not just gonna change your mind again? Because if you do, we're not just walking out. I'll take my shotgun to your head and decorate the fucking walls with your brains."

 

The Brotherhood Elder chuckled good-naturedly, but he knew the threat was serious. "I think I'm finally getting my head on right this time. And if I ever start getting too full of myself ..." he winked at Ruby, "... I expect my close friends to put me back in my place."

 

She could only grin. "Yes, sir."

 

They still had a ways to go, had to reintegrate the other into their lives once more, soothe over the aching wounds that had been left in the wake of their encounter in the Citadel, wounds that had been left to fester for the last several years. Now, though, now it was allowed air, allowed a chance to heal. And this time ... this time they would get it right. Sometimes, all you need is a little reconciliation to cure what ails you.


End file.
